Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 169,480 complaints - component: ENGINE
Incident date: May 12, 2026
I purchased a 2018 Hyundai Kona, and it has had one major issue after another. It burns an excessive amount of oil, the engine misfires, and now the turbocharger is failing. I’ve already spent approximately $2,300 repairing the air conditioner and engine, and I can’t afford thousands more in repairs.
Incident date: May 3, 2026
There is a known coolant intrusion into the engine that caused the engine to suddenly only go to a certain speed while on the freeway. It could have caused an accident on the freeway by suddenly going at such a slow speed. It is now found out that the problem is known by Ford and is part of a technical service bulletin, but no recall has been issued on this known problem. The TSB associated ar... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
The engine tries to die when in park. While stopped at a red light, it died and stated conditions not met to shift. Had to hit park button then restart it. This has happened 4 times. With & without auto start feature on
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
The engine shuts off unexpectedly when the automatic start stop system engages. At the same time the engine shuts off, the power steering warning light illuminates and steering assist is lost. The vehicle must be restarted to regain power steering and continue driving. This has occurred on multiple occasions, including while the vehicle was slowing to a stop in traffic. The sudden loss of steering... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Ford EcoSport. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that while slowing down, the RPM became extremely elevated, and the low oil pressure warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle failed to accelerate, and the contact pulled over into a nearby... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
This car has increasingly started stalling out as I come to a stop in traffic at lower speeds. There is no consistent pattern behind when it will occur. At times, I feel my car's engine start to shudder like it's going to stall, but it is not immediately followed by stalling. I have taken it to a dealer last month because it stalled at least three times in a month. They replaced the battery becaus... Read more
Incident date: Jul 16, 2026
I own a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.4L (VIN: [XXX]). On XXX, my vehicle received Campaign 9C2 (ECU software update for Theta II emissions improvement). Shortly after this update, I began experiencing a drivability issue that did not exist beforehand. Description of the issue: The problem occurs only after the vehicle has been sitting long enough for the engine to become completely cold, typic... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
On July 4, 2026, I was driving 2.5 hours from home. My car stopped after about an hour of travel. The car shook and the check engine light came on as the car shut down. There were no warning lights on in my vehicle. I have oil change records. My car had burned through all the oil in an hour. This is not a new problem with this model Hyundai. Every group I went to discuss the problem online all had... Read more
Incident date: Jul 17, 2026
I am filing this complaint regarding my 2021 Kia Sorento, which has suffered a transmission failure. The transmission slips, shifts harshly, hesitates during acceleration, loses power unexpectedly, and has become unsafe to drive. This defect has put my safety and the safety of others at risk. On several occasions the vehicle failed to respond properly when accelerating, including while entering h... Read more
NISSAN
VERSA NOTE
(2015) - ENGINE
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
Driving on highway no warning lights appeared the car made a loud pop noise and heavy smoke appeared from under the hood. Immediately pulled over and noticed all of the oil poured out and was nasty looking. The car was up to date on oil change. My car was towed home and bone dry no oil and no coolant the engine now had loud knocking and needs to be replaced for failure. The car was looked at by in... Read more
MERCEDES-BENZ
E350
(2014) - ENGINE
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 1, 2026
Component Failure: Engine - I am reporting a dangerous engine defect in my 2017 Ford Edge which involves the 2.0L EcoBoost I4 F DOHC 14v engine. My vehicle has experienced total engine failure due to coolant leaking into the engine cylinders. This is a known design flaw documented by Ford in TSB 19-2346, yet no safety recall has been issued for the Edge model. This defect poses a significant safe... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
I am writing to report a direct violation of the Theta II Class Action Settlement terms by Hyundai Motor America. This morning , I emailed an Executive Case Manager explicitly explaining that my 2017 Sonata has an active P1326 code, has the 2019 KSDS update, and requires a mandatory diagnostic under NHTSA Recall 17V226 that cannot be denied due to a salvage title. Instead of replying to my fact... Read more
Incident date: Jan 15, 2024
The warning lights on our 2020 Subaru Outback have lit intermittently for the past 2 years. When bringing the vehicle into the dealer for service and oil changes, this was reported. Recently the TPMS light began to light intermittently. Tire pressure was checked and adjusted but the problem persisted. When we brought the vehicle in for service, it turned out that all tire pressure sensors needed t... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2025
My 2025 Hyundai Palisade intermittently experiences an abnormally high engine idle of approximately 1,500 RPM during the first few minutes of driving. The condition occurs randomly and is not present on every trip. While stopped at stop signs or intersections with my foot firmly on the brake pedal, I can feel the engine pushing against the brakes because of the elevated idle speed. When I release ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
My 2018 Kia Soul has failed on oil consumption test and needs and engine replacement. Kia knows of these issues with these cars but will not cover the engine replacement cost bc the class action suit does not cover oil consumption failure only rod bearings. This will be an issue sooner or later with the oil problem. Kia has several recalls on other vehicles for the exact same thing.
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? I own a 2018 Honda Accord with approximately 132,000 miles. Shortly after my vehicle was serviced for the fuel pump recall, multiple warning lights and system failure messages appeared simultaneously. The affected systems include Road Departure Mitigation, Emission System, Adaptive Cruise Control, A... Read more
Incident date: Sep 1, 2024
I was driving on the highway going 65 mph and scared when the engine started clicking and shaking a tiny bit. Plus it was slowing down no matter what i did. Well in a 4 lane highway. There was No engine light, no previous issues. The car drove great until this issue. I had the car only 3 months. Now i am afraid to drive it because i had seen theres an engine recall online for my car. Onc... Read more
Incident date: Feb 6, 2026
I have a 2023 Kia Sorento with approx 60k, purchased new from New Pot Richey Kia. Approx 7 days ago, while driving home from dropping my son at school, my transmission system error warning came on as well as my check engine light. My RPM'S would increased without corresponding acceleration, which meant my transmission, was slipping. I was also experiencing jerking during shifting. In addition to t... Read more
Incident date: Jun 28, 2026
While driving on a US highway, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle lost the ability to start/run normally, requiring the vehicle to be pulled off the road and towed to an authorized Hyundai dealership. Dealer diagnostic testing found the engine failed a bearing/performance test, consistent with connecting rod bearing wear. This failure mode — Check Engine light, DTC P1326, abnorm... Read more
Incident date: Jun 15, 2026
I bought a VW 2019 Jetta used in 2023 from a Volkswagen dealer in Bayside, Queens with about 20k miles on it. There was a recall on the car for a faulty ignition switch and prior to getting my car inspected recently, it needed to be taken care of to pass inspection as well as an oil sensor contributing to a check engine light. Both were taken care of by VW Platinum Service in Hicksville and the ca... Read more
Incident date: Jun 21, 2026
While driving my 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid, the vehicle suddenly displayed multiple warning messages, including a Check Engine Light, and immediately entered limp mode. Engine power was significantly reduced, making it difficult to accelerate and safely keep up with surrounding traffic. This unexpected loss of power created a potential safety hazard because the vehicle could not respond normally to... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
Complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) I am filing this complaint regarding an unresolved safety recall on my vehicle. This recall has remained open for more than one year, yet no remedy has been made available. Despite the manufacturer acknowledging the safety defect, I continue to operate a vehicle that presents significant safety concerns because the defect has... Read more
Incident date: Jul 2, 2026
While having my car serviced my mechanic informed me that I have an oil leak (and told me time to get rid of it). He did some searching and found that there is a safety-related issue and to take it to a dealer for repair. I have only had this jeep barely over two years. I have been smelling the car hot while driving it or after turning it off. Even my daughter has commented on it. There has only ... Read more
Incident date: Sep 21, 2025
The vehicle has suffered a catastrophic failure of the hybrid drive motor rotor, transmission, and engine clutch, resulting in a $14,993 repair quote. This is a direct consequence of a failed remedy for NHTSA Recall 18V260 (Hyundai Campaign 176).In February 2020, a dealer performed an 'inspection/cap' remedy under Campaign 176. However, this did not permanently fix the manufacturing burrs on the h... Read more
Incident date: Apr 1, 2026
I purchased my vehicle from Ideal Hyundai on 04/23/26. On 06/22/26 (less than 2 months later), I was driving to work and the car started to lose power. The display said to check hybrid system and stop safely. After 10 minutes, I was able to drive the car 3 more miles to work. I took it to Ideal Hyundai the next day. I got the car back on 06/26/26 after they said they address the issue and the o... Read more
HYUNDAI
IONIQ HYBRID
(2017) - ENGINE
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 14, 2026
The vehicle has gone into a limp mode unexpectedly while driving on the highway at 60+ mph. The car immediately stopped driving and went into limp mode and cannot go over 30 mph. It was taken to a service dealer. They could not replicate the problem, therefore the vehicle was given back as undiagnosed. This next incident occurred and almost caused an accident, and that was on, again driving on... Read more
Incident date: Jul 21, 2026
Took my 2015 Ford F150 XLT 4X4 to Peoria Ford for safety recall, they requested 30000 mile maintenance. I agreed. Upon picking up vehicle service advisor informs me engine light was on, it was safe bring it back when I have more time. They had my vehicle from July 13, 915am till that July 15, 545pm, closing at 6pm. On the way home almost had an accident,truck still shifting down bad and powert... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
Subject vehicle has 11919 miles. The vehicle is less than three years old and covered under factory warranty. While driving 35MPH, engine suddenly did not respond to throttle. This engine stopped. Driver was able to coast to roadside. After OnStar analysis, engine control computer logged code 'P129F - An issue has been detected in the Fuel Management System used to maintain, control and monit... Read more
Incident date: Jul 15, 2026
Recall # 25V767 has been open since November 6, 2025 and the remedy is not yet available. There is a possibility that certain machining debris may not have been cleared from the engine when it was produced which can lead to potential engine knocking, engine rough running, engine no start, and/or a loss of motive power. I am concerned about this being a major safety issue and also concerned abou... Read more
Incident date: Oct 1, 2025
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine unexpectedly shut down while I was driving my 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon at approximately 30 mph. There was no apparent cause for the shutdown. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The sudden engine shutdown caused an unexpected loss of power while the vehicle w... Read more
Incident date: Jan 4, 2026
I own a 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost with approximately 75,000 miles. My vehicle developed a check engine light with diagnostic codes P0300 (random misfire) and P0301 (cylinder 1 misfire). I also began experiencing white smoke from the exhaust during cold starts. An independent repair shop suspects coolant is entering cylinder 1 due to a possible head gasket failure. They have recommended removing t... Read more
TOYOTA
HIGHLANDER
(2022) - ENGINE
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
While driving my 2026 Cadillac Escalade with approximately 15,000 miles, I experienced a sudden loss of engine power. I was able to safely move the vehicle onto the shoulder of the road. The vehicle would not continue operating and required towing. The dealership diagnosed the vehicle with a catastrophic internal engine failure requiring complete engine replacement. The engine is the 6.2L V8. Ther... Read more
Incident date: Jul 22, 2025
I bought the truck with 2 miles , shut off on me within 1,300 miles wouldn’t turn on , supposedly it was a bad fuse that was burned out , Second time it shut off on me again , all my sensors were going off and on and truck wouldn’t turn back on , they told me they couldn’t figure out the problem evaczue they had disconnected the battery and it erased all the codes 3rd time , they changed... Read more
Incident date: May 22, 2026
2026 CADILLAC ESCALATE WITH 4900 STARTED KNOCKING TOOK TO DEALER TOLD ME IT HAD SPUN A MAIN BEARING REPLACED ENGINE NOW NEW ENGINE SOUNDS THE SAME TAKING BACK TO DEALER
Incident date: May 22, 2026
My wife was driving the vehicle to work this morning XXX around 730am on the [XXX] near [XXX] and the vehicle just cut off while driving at high speed. All the lights were activated on the dashboard. The steering wheel locked, the brakes stopped working, and the car would not accelerate. The vehicle died mid drive placing her in a dangerous life threatening predicament within this heavily trucked ... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2020) - ENGINE
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
Transmission faulty, loud, clunky and hard shifting! Service transmission now alert and code P0747
Incident date: May 14, 2025
Background and Contracted Scope At the recommendation of Mountain West Service Manager Kendall Weaver, I contracted with Mountain West to install an engine-mounted PTO (Power Take-Off) hydraulic pump on Truck #37 for use in a side dump trailer application. Kendall represented that the engine-mounted system would be more powerful and better suited to the truck. A side dump trailer requires bidire... Read more
MACK
GRANITE (GR)
(2025) - ENGINE
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
While Driving on freeway, engine suddenly stops. This has happened four times now in the last two years one time was almost deadly as we were surrounded by semi’s and lost power completely except for the small amount of hybrid power. I had to quickly get to the side, barely missing a semi truck. 2021 Honda CRV hybrid. I have taken it into Bountiful Honda in Utah after each episode, the first t... Read more
MACK
GRANITE (GR)
(2025) - ENGINE
Jul 21, 2026
Incident date: Mar 16, 2026
My 2018 Ford Escape SE 1.5L EcoBoost has recently experienced catastrophic engine failure with no prior warning by any of the vehicles sensors nor a notice from the manufacturer that this is a potential/known issue. I have come to understand that this is a widely known issue that has been wholly uncommunicated by the Manufacturer. My vehicle, as confirmed by an independent service center, has exp... Read more
Incident date: Jul 20, 2026
On XXX I purchase the vehicle TOYOTA AVALON XSE, with VIN #: [XXX]. I purchase the vehicle at LARRY [XXX] AMERICAN TOYOTA in [XXX], with the LIEN [XXX] KIRTLAND FEDERAL CREDIT UNION BANK same city of [XXX]. I was told the vehicle had a 160 point check, yet when I check the THUMB DRIVE that was given to me by the business personnel. When I looked at the thumb drive, their were signed documents betw... Read more
Incident date: Aug 21, 2024
We purchased a 2023 Chevy Suburban in January of 2026. In May the vehicle shut off on me at a stop light. The check engine light flashed after I was able to restart it. I took it to the dealer and they said they "couldn't recreate the issue" even though there was an engine misfire code on all cylinders. They told me to come pick it up and bring it back if I had further issues. The second time thi... Read more
Incident date: Jul 18, 2026
My car was stalling on the highway not going over 40, a perfectly maintained 88k mile car that is stock and only used for work and light leisure. The weak engine head gasket is to blame for coolant seeping into cyclinder 3. A very known defect with the 1.5 turbocharged engines recently. The safety of me and passengers was at risk because that’s a 50mph+ highway and my car didn’t go to 50. Yes ... Read more
HYUNDAI
SANTA FE SPORT
(2014) - ENGINE
Jul 20, 2026
Incident date: Jun 23, 2026
When attempting to use engine braking to control descent on mountain roads, the vehicle failed to slow. Engine RPMs increased and speed increased requiring significant brake usage. Last year the vehicle performed as expected as deceleration was controlled via downshifting with much less brake usage. The only change was the application earlier this year of Hyundai service campaign 9C9.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
There is a crack in the exhaust manifold and the exhaust smell is entering the cabin affecting driver and passengers' health. The problem has been confirmed by a Subaru dealer and an independent mechanic. There were no warning lights, I was made aware after routine maintenance by an independent mechanic. The same part has failed in multiple Subaru models: Recall WUJ-95 (SOA says my car is not cov... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2025
At approximately 3,000 miles, the engine began making a loud knocking noise that became progressively worse while driving. The truck was diagnosed as needing a complete engine replacement. No warning lights, no check engine light, nothing. For someone inexperienced with vehicles, you could easily be in big trouble on the highway and a potentially life threatening situation. My primary concern is ... Read more
Incident date: Jul 12, 2026
I am reporting a safety issue with a 2016 Lexus RX350, VIN [XXX], with about 60,000 miles. The vehicle is registered in [XXX] and was being driven to [XXX] when it suddenly overheated on XXX near [XXX]. The warning lights appeared while the vehicle was traveling at highway speed. The driver immediately took the first available exit within about one minute. The failed system appears to be the eng... Read more
Incident date: Feb 13, 2026
It’s a common issue between 2019-2020 where the oil pump which came from factory has plastic impellers which crack/disintegrate causing catastrophic failure to the engine disabling the vehicle the only warning signs before this happens is you cant read oil level and or the car prompts with a warning low oil messages if untreated the car will have catastrophic engine failure with little to no war... Read more
FORD
EXPEDITION
(2016) - ENGINE
Jul 20, 2026
Incident date: Jul 15, 2025
My 2024 Honda CRV Sport Touring Hybrid AWD has the very same engine and parts as the Canadian model. So far the Canadian version with the exact same equipment as well as the U.S. version has a poorly designed HEAD GASKET that have resulted in NUMEROUS engine failures with no warning. In CANADA the engines have been recalled for this safety concern and resulting catastrophic engine failure. My... Read more
Incident date: Jun 30, 2026
The lower aluminum engine oil pan developed a structural hairline fracture ("micro-crack") directly along the factory casting ridge adjacent to the drain plug. The component failed without any external impact, road hazard, scraping, or underbody damage. The failure was officially confirmed and documented by Eckert Hyundai during a service visit on July 13, 2026 (Case #42971835). Following the dea... Read more
Incident date: May 20, 2025
After noticing an oil leak and blue smoke in my 23 VW atlas, I took it to my local dealership in Tupelo, MS. I realized there was an open recall for the PCV Valve / Oil separator under code 10LP. However, the bad PCV valve also caused the timing chain cover to go bad. The dealership called me back and said VW would not cover this issue. I then called VW to see if they would step in and provide som... Read more